St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-21

after the new polling places are fixed
We have shown that repealed sta
tute is cited 10y the Governor III justiti-
cation Of bis course. Now by referring
to our citation from that statute, it will
be seen that even that dead statute can
not be made to serve the present pur-
poses, except Ivy garbliug it. Observe
that the prohibition against a change of
precinct Or polling place within six
months OF an election, is made to ap-
| ply to IA general election. An elemental
ry rule Ut interpreting statutes excludes
any application OF this provision to d
special election. There are besides, OBJ
vious reasons why such Il provision
should not apply 10 a special election to
fill Il vacancy and doubtless such per
version OF the Law was never thought Of
until hunted out for this occasion.
We have stated that the Governor
does not in his letter. in terms, apply
| the six months limitation to this spe-
cial election. He says i'll explanation,
| that he has fixed the election for Dec
27th, SO as to give the police juries OF
said parishes the accessory time to ma Ike
said changes"-thCs implying however,
that this long delay is made necessary
by the law. He qnotes the dead sta
tute in defense of his course while his
apologists in addition to quoting the
same dead statute, boldly and unblush-
ingly garble it, to make it fit the occa-
sion.
1t may we'll be asked: wherefore
this bold usurpatiOn of authority, this
hugger- mugger with the law and the
rights Of the people of this district:
Is it because the parish of St. Landry is
opposed to the Administration, and
that if an election be now held the sup
porters of the Governor would either
have to let it go by default, Or put up
candidate for Judge to have him dec-
sively beaten? This would indeed be
bad for the Administration at this
iuncture. 1t would not do for it to 90
into canvass for delegates to the State
convention with the Odor of defeat in
this district. The Administration lit is
an open secret) hopes great things from
the new parish Of Acadia while a |
change may be brought about in St. |
Landry, if seven months Ieprieve is
granted In the meantime the can
yass and election Of delegates Will
probably be over, the Administration
and its friends III the thirteenth dis |
trict will be relieved of their embarrass-
the chances for betterment
of the situation which time may bring |
are secured, while the Administration |
and its local adherents here fill for at
least seven months beyond the consti- |
tutional limit the most important office |
in tho district with gentleman in e2-
tire political sympathy with them.
There is but one word in the vocabu- |
larry OF words OF politics that defines |
Gov. McEnery's act: auGacity, brazen
That the Governor of Loui-
siana should venture to do such thing,
and that his course should fad defen-
ders and ap0logists, show that there is
in our State in high places, thorough
ly corrupted public conscience. In
deed, it is impossible that there should |
be such a palpable usurpation OF a
right which the people have expressly
reserved to themselves in the constitu-
lion and laws, except on the presump-
lion by the Executive that there is no
longer a spark of public opinion Oh
of popular rights among the
people of this State.
After all however, it is not surprising.
This Administration has fastened upon
he people, for the benefit of the bond
holders, debt of $4,000 per annum
Tor fifteen years, over and above the
init of the State debt and the debt
settlement as fixed by the constitution.
It has allowed the best portion of the
public lands of the State to be absorbed
oy John McEnery, brother of the Gov
,rnor, under pretense Of legal services
'endered by him in the recore,y of
hese lands, when the land depart
nent Of the government at Washing
Oh would in due time have assigned to
he State its quota of land at a vel!
rifling cost for Office expenses. 1t hasi
Flowed lawyer at Baton Rouge, right
lnder its eyes, to take out of the pub
ic school funds, as. fees for recorering {
hese funds, fifty per cent, when it was
he plain duty of the officers of the
tate government to ascertain them
elves the amount in the State treasury
o the credit OF the parishes, and to
ave it paid over without cost or